Monkey-wrench



W. GORDON.

MONKEY WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED 0cT.20.1919.

Patented June 7, 1921 rare WILLIAM GORDON, F UNION, NEW JERSEY.

MONKEY-WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed October 20, 1919. Serial No. 331,952.

- Monkey-Wrenches, of which the following is tion of the-engagingmemberor members to a specification.

This invention relates toimprovements in' monkey wrenches, andparticularly to that type of monkey wrenches in which exceeding nicetyand fineness of adjustment is procured by the engagement with a rack ofa plurality of movable members adapted alternately to be moved intoandout of engagement with the rack and to split up or subdivide thespace between the teeth of the rack.

One of the objects of this invention is to produce an engagement betweenthe rack and one of such engaging members which will be firm and secureand will enable the employment on each engaging member of a plurality ofteeth adapted to engage the rack simultaneously.

vAnother object/is to provide a wrench construction in which the angleof inclinathe rack will be decreased and the pivot or pivots thereoflowered (relatively to the plane of the rack thus greatly increasing theefi'ective grip of such engaging members with the rack-and enabling theengagmg members and their teeth to withstand greater strain when thewrench is in use, and also preventing a slipping or flying-out ofengagement of the teeth of the engaging member with the teeth of therack.

. Another object of my invention is to produce a wrench in which therack-engaging members are connected with the shank of the wrench at oneend of such members; are released by engagement with a lifter at theopposite end and have their engaging-teeth positioned intermediate theends of the members.

Another object of my invention is to produce a wrench of the characterabove described having relatively few parts capable of ready assembly,and to this end to provide the stationary member with a stationary jawat one end, a suitable shank and a socket for the engaging membersincluding at the rear end of said stationary member a hearing orconnecting socket for the rear ends of the engaging members, while themovable jaw is provided with an integral rack and the rack-engagingmembers are retained in relatively stationary position on the stationarymembers With these and other objects in view, the invention comprisesthe combination of. members and arrangement of parts so combmed as toco-act and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functionsand the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprisesin one of its adaptations the species or preferred form lllustrated inthe accompanying drawin -s, in which:

igure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a wrench embodying myinvention;

Fig 2 is a section on the line 22 of i Fig. 3 is a section on the line33 of Fig. 1; j

Fig. 4: is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the relationship of the variousengaging members to the rack.

Referring now to these drawings which illustrate a preferred embodimentof my invention, 1 indicates the shank of the wrench having a stationaryjaw 2 at one end, and 3- indicates the movable jaw which is slidable onsaid shank and has formed integrally therewith a rearwardly projectingrack 4 having teeth 5 disposed inwardly toward the shank. The shank 1 isprovided with an elongated socket 6 extending from a point midwaybetween the ends to the opposite end of said shank and'terminatingin asocket 7 serving as an anchor for rack-engaging members 11 mounted onthe stationary shank. The movable jaw 3 is, as shown, normally drawn toits rear position by a spring 8 stretched between a stationary eye 9 onthe shank and another eye 10 on the rack 4, and seated in the elongatedsocket 6 of .the shank are a series, and preferably three,

Patented June a, rear.

gaging member 11 and otherv parts are all assembled in the rear orhandle end of the wrench and a casing 17 is slid over the same andsuitably connected in position to inclose all the parts and retain thesamein their relative operative positions.

The rack-engaging members 11 may be held in contact with the rack teeth5 by a spring 18 having divided legs which press against the members 11individually, but, if desired, the rack-engaging members may be made ofresilient metal and this spring omitted.

The operation of the wrench is as follows:

Assuminthat the wrench is in position shown in l ig. 1 with the teeth orrack on one of the engaging members held in engagement with the teeth ofthe rack on the movable jaw and it is desired to operate with a wrenchon a larger nut, the lifter is engaged by the fingers of the user andall of the engaging members are simultaneously disengaged from the rack,whereupon the spring 8 will cause the movable jaw 5 to beinstantaneously moved to its full open position. The jaw may then bymanual engagement therewith be moved into suitable .nut engagingposition, during which operation the teeth on the various engaginmembers 14 will click over the teeth of t e various racks until theproper position is reached.

The wrenchby reason of the fact that it embodies a series of engagingmembers 14 disposed one alongside of the other and in such relationshipto the rack as to subdivide or split the space between a tooth thereofwill permit a fine adjustment to be made and a tight grip to be obtainedupon the nut or other device which it is desired to manipulate.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. In a monkey wrench, the combination with a fixed jaw and a movablejaw, one of which is provided with a rack having teeth extendinginwardly and the other with a shank having a rack engaging memberprovided with a series of teeth extending outwardly and adapted toengage the said rack, said rack engaging member comprising an armextending rearwardly and having a connection at the rear end of theshank, and means at the front of the wrench for actuating saidrack-engaging member.

2. In a monkey wrench, the combination with a fixed jaw and a movablejaw, one of which is provided with a rack having teeth extendinginwardly and the other with a shank having" a rack engaging membermounted in said shank and provided with a series of teeth adapted toengage the said rack, said rack engaging member having at one end anelongated rearwardly disposed arm connected with the stationary shank,and a forwardly extending shoulder at the opposite side of the teeth ofsaid rack engaging member, and means projecting in the same dlrection asthe aws of said wrench for releasing said rack engaging member.

3. In a monkey wrench, the combination with a fixed jaw and a movablejaw, one of which is provided with a rack having teeth extendinginwardly and the other with a shank having a rack engaging membermounted in said shank and provided with a series of teeth adapted toengage the said rack, said rack engaging member having at one end anelongated rearwardly disposed arm connected with the stationary shank,and a forwardly extending shoulder at the opposite side of the teeth ofsaid rack engaging'member and a manually actuated lifter adapted toengage said shoulder, and having its actuating portion extending in thesame direction as the said jaws and to the rear side of said rack.

4. In a monkey wrench the combination with a fixed jaw and a movablejaw, one of which is provided with a rack having teeth extendinginwardly and the other with a shank having a series of rack engagingmembers mounted in said shank, each rack engaging member being providedwith a series of teeth, the teeth of the series of rack engaging membersbeing so disposed relatively to the rack as to subdivide the interdentalspace and procure fineness of adjustment combined with rigidity ofgripping action,

each rack engaging member comprising an arm extending rearwardlyandhaving a connection at the rear end of the shank, and means projectingin the same direction as the jaws of said wrench for releasing said rackengaging member.

5. In a monkey wrench the combination with a fixed jaw and a movablejaw, one of which is provided with a rack having teeth extendinginwardly and the other with a shank having a series of rack engagingmembers mounted in said shank, each rack engaging member being providedwith a series of teeth, the teeth of the series, of rack engagingmembers being so disposed relatively to the rack as to subdivide theinterdental space and procure fineness of adjustment combined withrigidity of gripping action; each rack engaging member having at one endan elongated rearwardly disposed arm connected with the stationaryshank, and a forwardly extending shoulder at the opposite side of theteeth of said rack engaging members, and means projecting in the samedirection as the jaws of said wrench for releasing said rack engagingmember.

6. In a monkey wrench the-combination with a fixed jaw and a movablejaw, one of which is provided with a racc having teeth extendinginwardly and the other with a shank having a series of rack engagingmembers mounted in said shank, each. rack ongaging member being providedwith a series space and procure fineness of adjustment combined withrigidity of gripping action; each rack engaging member having at one endan elongatedrearwardly disposed arm connected with the stationary shank,a forwardly extending shoulder at the opposite side of the teeth of saidrack engaging members and a manually actuated lifter adapted to engagesaid shoulders, and having its actuating portion extending in the samedirection as the said jaws and to the rear side of said rack.

7. A monkey wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw, amovable jaw slidable on said shank, a rack formed inte-,

gral with said j aw and having teeth extending inwardly, a rack engagingmember mounted in said shank and provided with a plurality of teethadapted to engage said rack,fand means projecting in the same directionas the jaws of said wrench for releasing said rack engaging member.

8. A. monkey wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw,amovable jaw slidable on said shank, a rack formed integral with saidjaw and having teeth extending inwardly, a plurallty of rack engagingmembers mounted in said shank and provided with a plurality of teethadapted to engage said rack, and means pro ecting 1n the same directionas the jaws of said wrench for-releasing said rack engaging member. s 9.A monkey wrench comprising a'shank provided with a fixed jaw, a movablejaw slidable on said shank, a rack formed integral with said and havingteeth extending inwardly, a rack engaging member connected to said shankand provided with a plurality of teeth adapted to engage said rack, aspring stretched between said shank and rack for normally retaining thejaws in separated positions and means projecting in the same directionas the jaws of said wrench for releasing said rack engaging member.

10. A monkey wrenchcomprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw at oneend, another jaw movable relatively to said fixed jaw on said shank, arack associated and movable with said movablejaw and having teethextending inwardly, and a rack-engaging member having a portionconnected adjacent to the end of the shankopposite to the'fixed jaw; aseries of teeth on said member extending parallel to the said rack andan elongated inclined portion intermediate said series of teeth and theportion connected to sald shank, and means pro ecting 1n the samedirection as the aws of said wrench for releasing said rack engagingmember.

11. A monkey wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw at oneend, an other jaw movable relatively to said fixed jaw on said shank, arack associated and movable with said movable jaw and having teethextending inwardly, a rack-engaging member having a portion connectedadjacent to the end of the shank opposite to the fixed jaw; a series ofteeth on said member extending parallel to the said rack and anelongated inclined portion extending from said shank to a toothedportion, said toothed portion and shank connecting portion beingdisposed at a distance from each other to provide a decreased angle ofinclination between the rack and connection with the shank, and meansprojecting in the same direction as the jaws of said wrench forreleasing said rack engaging member.

12. A monkey Wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw, amovable jaw slidable on said shank, a rack associated with said jaw andhaving teeth extending inwardly, a rack-engaging member mounted inv saidshank and provided with a plurality of teeth extending'outwa'rdly andadapted to engage said rack, a wrench casing inclosing said shank andrack-engaging member and forming a socket within which the rack isadapted to move and means at the top of said casing for releasing saidrack engaging member.

13. A monkey wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw, amovable jaw slidable on said shank, a rack associated with said jaw andhaving .teeth extending inwardly, a rack-engaging member mounted in saidshank and provided with a plurality of teeth extending outwardly andadapted to engage said rack, a wrench casing inclosing said shank andrack-engaging member forming a socket within which the rack is adaptedto'move, a manually-actuated lifter at the ,top of said casing adaptedto engage said rack engaging member and a lip on said casing forguarding against accidental release of the said lifter.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to the foregoing specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 1

WILLIAM GORDON. lVitnesses:

ANGELO CAPoNEoRo,

EDWARD HOLLANDER.

